Sweet Melancholic Reminiscings
by 49airplanes
Summary: In an ironic turn of events, Jill finds Eustace behind the gym feeling rather down in the dumps.


**Hey there! This is the first fanfic I've posted here, so please feel free to flame away:D I apologize profusely in advance if any part of the story seems off, or the characters are OOC, or if there are any grammatical errors/typos in there. I don't have anyone beta-ing this so mistakes are entirely my fault.**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I own the Chronicles of Narnia, which is precisely why I am posting a FANFIC instead of publishing another book.  
**

"Scrubb?" Jill trudged on the muddy ground alongside the gym, putting her hand on the wall to keep her balance. "Scrubb, are you there? I tried looking for you at your room, but Spivvins said that you just took off."

Still no answer. She sighed. "Come now Scrubb, my parents just sent me a bag of peppermints, and I thought I could pay you back for all the ones you've given me."

There was an audible groan, and Eustace poked his head out from the corner. "I'm right here, Pole. You knew that. There's no need to be so loud, unless you want everyone to hear you", he said, more miserable than cross. He patted beside him on the coat spread on the ground when she reached him, and she sat, pulling a package of brightly colored sweets out of her bag and offering it to him.

He smiled wryly and took one. "This reminds me of our first trip to Narnia-well, my second, your first."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "It does, doesn't it? Only this time, it's the other way around."

He gave a watery chuckle.

Jill continued, "It really has changed my life, you know. I see what you mean now. I don't know what it would be like right now if you've never told me about Narnia. I suppose I'd still be the same, weak and easy to provoke. Experiment House too; it- Scrubb?" She started, as Eustace had suddenly reached for her hand and clasped it tightly in his.

"You were never weak, Jill. If anything, it was me. I was the one who followed _them_ around; _I _helped make life here torture for you and for the others. I've noticed you before; you refused to do what _they_ wanted you to if it meant hurting others, even if you knew that _they'd_ turn on you." He had a faraway look in his eyes, and Jill could not read his face. She was also startled by his use of her Christian name.

"Eustace, what's this all about?", she asked cautiously."What brought this all on?"

He turned to her with the same expression. "Jill, what would you feel like if everyone you knew and loved grew old and died, and you were still young, or didn't age from the last time you so them? _What would you do?_", he whispered the last part, his voice slightly pleading.

Jill's eyes widened as remembered how he reacted when they first reached Narnia, and was told that Caspian, the boy he once knew as a young blond, gay and somewhat immature, and certainly not much older than him, was all of a sudden weak and frail and silver-haired.

"Oh, Eustace", she breathed, and leaned her head on his shoulder, squeezing his hand gently in her own.

"I mean, even though it turned out alright in the end in Aslan's country, but still—he was an old man! And he was near our age! What about everyone else, Drinian and—" He sighed.

"I knew know I should have been prepared for this-Lucy told me that the second time they returned to Narnia, _everyone _they knew-Mr. Tumnus, her first friend-", he choked. Even though Jill couldn't see his face, she knew he was crying, and from his jerky movement, was trying very hard to stop it.

She got up and hugged him, taking him by surprise, but he returned it all the same, perhaps with much more vigor than her. "Oh, Eustace", she said again. "It's just like you said-Aslan has a plan for us. I don't believe that he would make us go through all that for no particularly good reason, and I know that you don't believe it either. You want to know what _I_ would do?" She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye. "I think-no, I _know_ that we'll meet them again someday, in Aslan's country. Everyone you and your cousins knew-Caspian, Reepicheep, Drinian, Mr. Tumnus; even Puddleglum! We may not be returning to Narnia, but somehow, maybe not now or even in a few years but somehow, we will get into Aslan's country and see them again."

Eustace stared back at her and gave a small smile. "I suppose that does make sense.", he said, with the same unreadable and yet familiar expression. Jill thought hard and remembered why-it was the very same one that had appeared on his face that night in Narnia, when he thought that they were going to-no. She shook her head. They didn't die, and that was that. She should stop thinking about it.

"Jill?" She was pulled away from her thoughts as she turned to him. He sighed and gruffly swiped at his cheeks. "I'm sorry you had to find me like this, all blubbery and whatnot. It's just…today in History, we were discussing the Crusades, and for some reason it popped into my head…"

She nodded. It was during moments like this that he was able to fully let himself go, and she was grateful that it was her to whom he chose these rare displays of emotion. "I think it's unavoidable to think about things like this", she said thoughtfully, rubbing his back as he looked at her. "Despite what I just said, I think about it too. But then I remember Aslan, and all of the good memories from Narnia, and from the Friends of Narnia meetings, and I'm alright."

Eustace smiled again, this time a wide one. "Somehow, you always seem to know what to say, Pole.", he said, reverting back to her surname. She was slightly disappointed, but all the same glad; it was a sign that he was starting to feel better. She smiled back.

They sat there for what seemed to be hours in comfortable silence. When it began to grow dark, Eustace stood up and held out his hand. Jill took it, and smoothed out the wrinkles on her uniform. "We'd better go. I'm sure Spivvins is busy worrying himself up like last time", he said with a smirk.

Jill smacked him on the arm, causing him to rub the area and glare mockingly at her. "You should stop doing that, you know. I think he was beginning to get frantic when he told me he didn't know where you were", she shot back.

He laughed. "Mainly, I think it's because the last time I "disappeared", I came back late and all muddied up, and the prefect partially blamed Spivvins for letting me go off like that. You know how he gets when he thinks he's in trouble."

She rolled her eyes. "Still. That's no excuse. You're going to give him a heart attack one day."

He laughed again, and they continued to walk back, drinking in the beauty of the red sky. When they got to the door of the girls' dormitories, he stopped her. "Thank you, Jill. I really needed to hear that." He paused. "You know, out of all the people I know, I'm glad that it was you who went to Narnia with me" he added with an afterthought. " You're right. Aslan does have a plan; whether it was me telling you about Narnia, or Aslan telling you the signs-it all lead to where he wanted us to be, and I think that's being here, with me being less like a prig and you with it changing your life. I wouldn't know what _my _life would be like right now if I had never found you behind the gym that day."

Jill blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear, a habit she did when she was embarrassed. Then, with a sudden boldness, Eustace swooped down and pecked her cheek. Even though there wasn't much light left, she could see that he was fast becoming red. "Well, goodnight then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow", he said hurriedly, and with a last sheepish smile, began to walk away.

"Eustace!" He turned, nearly tripping over a small rock. Jill's smile widened as she ran to him; he was always so clumsy when he felt awkward. She hugged him again and whispered in his ear, "It goes both ways, you know. I know what to say because I learn from the best." She kissed him on the cheek, gave him one last hug and walked back to her building. "Goodnight! You'd better get back to your room before either your prefect or Spivvins blows a vein! I'll see you tomorrow!", she echoed over her shoulder.

He stood there watching her, dumbfounded and jaw slack, his hand absentmindedly creeping up to the spot where her lips had touched his cheek.

**A/N: So, thoughts? Creative criticism? Violent reactions? You know which button to click ;)**


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